Hand-bag.



G. ROTTMAN.

HAND BAG. APPLICATION FILED IMLIG. PSII.

' Patented Dec. 31, i918.

CWVaQ/VMWQ.

n.: num:

GEORGE ROTTMAN, OF NEW YORK, N.

HAND-BAG.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 31, 1918.

Application led January 16, 1917. Serial No. 142,611.

To all whom 'it may concern.'

Be it known that I, GEORGE ROTTMAN, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of the city, county, and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Hand-Bags, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to hand bags and more particularly to the inexpensive hand bags used by shoppers. These bags are` generally made of fabric such as oilcloth, which is sufficiently pliable to permit the bag to be folded or rolled upon itself when carried empty. In order to make these bags cheaply and to adapt them for b-ulky articles, they are made frameless; that is, they are not provided with a hinged metal frame like the more expensive leather' bags. One object of my invention is to provide a bag of the class set forth which will be inexpensive, and durable, and neat in appearance. The present bag is preferably of the closed type; that is, the top edges and stiEening members may be brought together and held there by securing means, so that dirt, rain, etc., can not enter the bag while it is being carried.

The rods shown herein which are used for stiffening members are of triangular cross section. They are cheaper to manufacture than round rods as they do not have to be made by being turned. Another advantage of triangular stifl'ening rods is, that the rods attached to opposite sides of the bag body may be brought together into acompact and neat arrangement resembling the top frame members of the more expensive bags. The closure between these triangular rods is close and such as will keep out rain. In conjunction with the stiffening rods, I employ simple and inexpensive devices for keeping the rods alined when the bag is closed.

In order to provide a closed-top bag of the class referred to, I prefer to attach the handles some distance below the top edges of the body in order that the material will be slack enough above the points of attachment to allow the stiffening rods to be easily brought together. I am not the first to attach handles some distance below the top edges of a bag but in the present case I have provided reinforcing means connected with the handles in such manner that a substantial part of the stresses are borne by the reinforcing material and this avoids the common defect of tearing away of the handle securing means from the bag material. The reinforcing means renders the ba'g stronger and more durable without necessarily employing more expensive material throughout the body of the bag.

In the drawing forming part of this application,

Figure 1 is an end elevation of a bag embodying my improvements,

Fig. 2 is a side elevation thereof with parts broken away,

Fig. 8 is a sectional view taken on the line 3 3 of Fig. 2, and

Fig. l is a perspective view of the device for keeping the stiiiening rods alined.

The bag body 1 comprises the sides 2 and 3, ends 4L and bottom 5. The sides 2, 3, are made of pliable material in order that the bag may be folded or rolledinto compact shape when empty. For top closing and stiffening means I' employ the rods 6 and?. The material forming the side 2 of the bag body is folded upon itself to form a hem S and it is secured by lines of stitches 9. The rod 6 is snugly inclosed in the hem 8. The material forming the side Sis folded upon itself and secured by lines of stitches 9 to form a hem 10 and the rod 7 is snugly inclosed in this hem. As is apparent from the drawing, the rods 6, 7 are triangular in cross section. These rods are so disposed that the bases of their triangular sections are parallel. When the two rods are brought close together as shown in Fig. 3, their combined contour is rectangular and they resemble the frame members of the more expensive bags. The juncture made by the triangular rods will more eifectually prevent rain fromentering the bag.

To retain the top closed I have provided a common form of catch l1 near each end of the bag. These each consist of the attaching plate 12 secured to the rod 6 and a U shaped member 13 pivoted to the plate 12 so that it may be swung down with its arms -14 straddling the rods 6, 7, and holding them together, or it may be swung up to free the rods and permit them to be moved apart.

To retain the rods in vertical alinement, I have provided means on one rod to engage the other for this purpose. I have shown a metal band 15 of triangular shape, fitting around the rod 6, and its ends 16 project outwardly and form a seat or rest for the rod 7, as shown in Fig. 3. Preferably, the

rod 6 has a recess 17 to receive the band 15 so that the latter will lie flush with the surface of the rod. I prefer to arrange one of these bands on opposite sides of the middle of the bag, as shown. l/Vhen the bag is to be closed, the rods 6, 7 are moved toward' each other, and the straps 15 will guide the rod 7 into proper relation to the rod 6; and when the rods are held together by the members 14 the rods will be retained in proper vertical alinement.

In order to allow the top of the bag to be closed while the bag is held by the handles, I prefer to secure the latter some distance -below the top edges of the body to allow the upper portion of the body to be more or less free. Each handle 18 is shown connected at itsl ends by a swivel connection 19 to a plate `2O arranged some distance below the top of the bag body. Each plate 20 is folded upon itself and one end 21 lies against the outer surface of the bag material and one end, 22 lies against the inner surface, the two ends being joined together' and to the body material by suitable means such as rivets 23. Each end 22 of the fastening members is slotted at 24: and one end of a flexible strap :25 is looped through this slot and secured by the stitches 27. The strap passes from one slot 24 downward, following the side of the bag, across the bottom and up the opposite side, its other end being secured to a corresponding fastener on the opposite side of the bag. rlhe strap 25 is preferably, though not necessarily, arranged inside the bag and I have shown two such straps, similarly connected with opposite fasteners. I prefer to connect the straps 25 with the bag material substantially throughout their length and I havel shown lines of stitches 2G passing through the bag material and the straps for this purpose. Heretofore in frameless shopping bags, where the `handles, have been secured some distance below the top of the bag, they have been secured only to the body material and herein a substantial part of the weight of the contents of the bag is borne by these straps. The straps while adding very little to the cost of the bag materially increase its strength and durability. By taking part of the strains they prevent the handle fas- Copes of this patent may be obtained for the bag and adapted to conform to the jcontour of the bag, said straps being adaptedv "if zo 1 to partially support the contents of the bag.

2. A bag of the frameless type comprising a flexible lbag body, stiffening members are ranged along ythe upper portions of the body', handles for the bag, fasteners secured to the body a substantialy distance below the top thereof whereby the portion of the body above the fastening means mayv be readily handle fastening means on opposite sides of vthe bag and extending around the bottomvof closed, and a strap secured at opposite ends to said handle fasteners on opposite sides of the bag and extending around the inside of the bag between the fastenersand means se Y curing said strap to the bag substantially throughout its length. j

3. A bag comprising a bag body, longitudinally disposed stiffening members at the upper edges of the body, said stiff'ening members ,being triangular in cross section and means carried by one of said stiffening members -and engaging under the other 'of said stifl'ening members to hold said mem,- bers in proper relation vwhen the bag is closed.

4. A bag comprising a bag. body, longitudinally disposed 'stiffening members at the upper edges of the body, said stiffening members being triangular in cross section, a A

strap engaging around one-of said triangular members and having a projecting por,- tion engaging under the other of said stiening members whenthe bag is in closed' po.- sition, for the purpose set forth.

Signed at the city,county and State of New York this 11th day of January, 1917.

GEORGE ROTTMAN.

ve cents each,.by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington; D. C. v 

